Aerobic exercise classes provide fun and exhilarating cardiovascular conditioning for some people. But if you don't like repetitive and jarring movement sequences, choreographed to loud, computerized covers of the latest top 40 hits, you probably do not enjoy aerobic classes. Former aerobics instructors Debbie and Carlos Rosas agree. During the 1980s, they developed an aerobic alternative method called Nia.
Nia Defined
Akida, tai chi, modern jazz and Isadora Duncan dance techniques share a commonality. They all comprise the exercise method called Nia, which stands for neuromuscular integrative action. Nia also means "with purpose" in Swahili. Mindful and purposeful exercise characterize all the aerobic movements in the Nia technique. The method uses an eclectic selection of musical styles, designed to elicit different moods and images.
Integrated Aerobics
Nia uses a barefoot approach to exercise that encourages an integrated relationship with your feet and the floor, your body and all its parts, and your entire body with its position in space and the other people in the room. Instructors tell students to avoid the mirrors, and sense the movements within their own bodies. Unlike traditional aerobics classes, where everyone has their own specific spot, Nia encourages the use of the entire room.
Benefits
The ability to move through space improves the aerobic process in two ways -- it increases the exercise intensity, while eliminating the overuse stress associated with jumping and landing in the same position. Every Nia move has a different level of intensity, which makes the classes adaptable to all levels of fitness. Each of these sequences also has a different intensity level. Low-intensity movements keep your arms and legs close to the core. Medium-intensity movements bring your limbs farther from the core, and high-intensity movements use a full range of motion. Some Nia movement sequences require quick directional changes, which enhance your athletic agility.
The Smile Line
The Nia technique adheres to 52 basic principles. Principle seven is of particular interest to those interested in Nia as a form of aerobic exercise. This principle describes the three levels of intensity and the three movement planes. Many Nia movement sequences follow what its creators call the smile line, an imaginary line you follow with your movements, as if you were following the line of a smile. The sequence begins with an upward-reaching movement, which drops toward the floor, then ascends to another upward movement.
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